Cause of fatal accident involving train remains unknown - Southeast Missourian
There still is no explanation for why a Sikeston, Missouri, man was killed when a train collided with a pickup truck he was riding in Monday. At 10:25 a. m. Monday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to a call at train tracks crossing County Road 432 west of U. S. 61 in Scott County, according to a highway patrol online crash report. Boby Long, 55, was driving a 2005 Ford F350 truck that was hit by a BNSF train. "He pulled up to the crossing, did not see the train on the tracks and hit the brakes at the last minute," said patrol Sgt. Scott County Coroner Scott Amick went to the accident scene. While he did not pronounce Long dead, Amick said he believes Long died on impact after being struck by the train and said the crossing was at the top of an embankment. "You just kind of have to wonder what happened there," Amick said. Amick said the crossing was on a straight stretch of track with no visual obstructions on either side. Cape Girardeau attorney J. Michael Ponder has a history of working with train-accident victims. He's researched BNSF railroad and its protocols, and he visited the scene of Monday's accident. "The visibility was limited beyond what is reasonable if you cross the tracks," he said. Long was an employee of the Scott County Highway Department. Source: www.semissourian.com
